Portlanders
take pride in our city’s emphasis on recycling.
Recycling, reducing waste and reusing materials are
deeply held values for many Portlanders. Many community
members express appreciation for the fact that Portland
seems to embrace such practices. Portlanders welcome
local businesses that facilitate the reuse of materials,
and are pleased with the common practice of composting
in homes and businesses around the city.
Many have ideas for how to expand recycling programs
to accept more materials that currently cannot be recycled,
at least not on a large scale, such as toxics. People
believe that recycling should be made easier and more
accessible to residents who live in apartments,
housing developments and outside of the city center.
They also want more education about environmental lifestyle
practices, and believe there should be research funding
available for effective recycling methods, which
could work for Portland.
- Conservation
of the environment through reducing, reusing and recycling
waste is key to Portlanders’ lifestyle.
- People
want to see efforts to keep Portland clean and litter
free increased.
- Businesses should do more
to incorporate recycling and other sustainable practices.
- Conservation
of the environment through reducing, reusing
and recycling waste is key to Portlanders’
lifestyle.
- Many Portlanders embrace the concept and
practice of reducing waste, reusing materials
and recycling.
- Respondents like that Portlanders recycle
and that the practice of recycling is fairly
mainstream.
- People a hold high expectation of cleanliness
for the city, and they are upset when they
see trash because it contradicts Portland
values.
- Many people believe that Portland is unique
in its many efforts to reduce waste and to
recycle.
- Local businesses that incorporate recycling
into their primary mission are respected.
| "...I
value it's beauty. I like living in a
clean city and hate when I see trash in
the streets it makes me feel like we don't
care about the city we live in.” |
| "[I
would like to see] a more environmentally
sustainable metropolitan: mass adherence
to recycling programs.” |
- “I would love to see a curbside
compost pick-up in addition to trash, recycling
and yard waste -- food waste adds a lot to
landfills and it could be much more valuable
when composted and turned into dirt!”
- “...Establish a recycle bill for all bottles
and cans, not just for soda and alcoholic
beverages.”
- People
want to see efforts to keep Portland
clean and litter free increased.
- There should be recycling bins and trash
cans in public areas, lining downtown streets,
in shopping districts and in all neighborhoods.
- Some believe there should be a system for
public recycling bins and that, eventually,
they could replace trash cans.
- Expand recycling programs to all types of
residences, including all apartment complexes.
- People ask for convenient recycling options
for more types of plastics and other
materials that currently cannot be recycled
at the curbside.
- In particular, people want to be able to
easily recycle toxic materials such as:
- Paints;
- Batteries; and
- Carpets.
- Community members would like to see more
public opportunities for composting in order
to reuse food waste and yard debris that typically
goes to a landfill.
- People want to see policies that allow for
residents to have composting toilets on their
property.
- Composting worm bins should be more widely
known about and used.
- Public education should increase to inform
Portlanders of sustainable lifestyle options.
| "More
bins for recycling bottles and cans, especially
items like water bottles that don't get
a refund...” |
| "Enhanced
recycling program that accepts some of
the products that are currently excluded.” |
| “More
recycling - especially of plastics &
packaging.” |
| “Regarding
recycling, so many people recycle here
and are aware of the need, but there are
not enough places downtown to put recyclables
by trash cans (although there are some
receptacles for cans). I think that there
should be more." |
- “We can have more recycling campaigns.”
- “Promote recycling and reuse through support
of places like Free Geek.”
- “Metro funding given to research on recycling,
especially changing local manufacturing, so
that products are at least 50% recyclable
when they are produced.”
- More education in schools and research regarding
best practices in recycling and sustainability.
- Tax businesses based on amount of waste,
not profit.
- Businesses
should do more to incorporate recycling and
other sustainable practices.
- All businesses should have separate systems
for composting, recycling and trash.
- They will use biodegradable or recycled
materials when possible.
- Businesses should become more resource efficient
and have waste reuse programs.
| “Less
new construction and more reuse and renovations
by local companies to raise our workforce
in our local neighborhoods.” |
| “I
also want to see stronger participation
and commitment from businesses to use
sustainable practices that do not harm
the environment.” |
- “Say a manufacturer of kitchen
products decides to accept all the packaging
they send out by return mail and agrees to
responsibly recycle or reuse the packaging
- they get a tax break for the effort."
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